


What on Irk is an Earthquake?!

by SpicySnowflake



Series: Spicy's Whumptober 2020 [27]
Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Earthquakes, Gen, Whumptober, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:54:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27225355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpicySnowflake/pseuds/SpicySnowflake
Summary: Zim experiences an earthquake for the first time in his life
Series: Spicy's Whumptober 2020 [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948723
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	What on Irk is an Earthquake?!

**Author's Note:**

> It's my 27th entry for Whumptober! :D

It was just another regular school day for Zim when the ground suddenly started shaking. Badly. Zim’s first reaction was to run around hysterically while yelling about how they were being attacked or how Earth was breaking or some other nonsense. 

Everyone else in class had already taken cover under their desks; which was protocol that had already been drilled into their heads in the unlikely chance they’d get an earthquake in their corner of the world. 

Dib was smirking from underneath his own desk as he watched Zim freak out, finding it hilarious that Zim didn’t even know what an earthquake was. Zita, who usually would have just ignored the green weirdo that sat in front of her, decided to intervene. “You idiot! The world isn’t ending, it's just an earthquake! Now get under your desk!” 

“Zim is no idiot!” Zim screeched as he pointed an accusing finger at Zita, but nonetheless decided to get under his desk, still clearly freaked out. 

“What? Are there no earthquakes where you came from?” Zita asked derisively. She didn’t even bother to pay attention to the words that came out of his mouth, already knowing that it contained refutes and denials and claims of being a ‘normal human worm-baby’. She just rolled her eyes. She already knew the real answer. 

As soon as Zim’s incredibly long monologue about being normal ended, nobody else spoke a word. Everyone collectively decided to quietly wait until the earthquake was over. It was tense, and everyone was nervous, wishing and praying in their heads that their family and friends were okay, but mostly they were hoping the school building wouldn't collapse on itself. Already, their room was a mess of broken things, everyone’s possessions were scattered everywhere along with debris, several lights had fallen from the ceiling, some were barely hanging on by the wires and swinging dangerously over everybody, with only their cheap desks over their heads as protection.

Zim especially, although he had calmed down from his initial freak out, was still very nervous. He still had no idea what was going on despite his insistence to everyone in the room that he did. 

_What even was an earthquake? How could something like this be normal?!_

Finally, after what felt like hours, the earthquake stopped. Slowly, everyone got out from under their desks. Ms. Bitters announced that school was cancelled and to go home before she slithered away. Zita, Ms. Bitter’s favourite and the class’s self-appointed representative, decided to step up and keep order, instructing her classmates step-by-step on what to do. Zim and Dib quietly followed instructions for once, Zim because he was still shaken and Dib because the earthquake had rattled him enough that he was no longer in the mood to taunt Zim. 

Zim was the first in his class to leave, just opting to exit through the hole in the wall rather than go through the door and what was sure to be a destroyed hallway. He quietly passed through the destroyed city on his way home, observing the damage and the people. Some were loudly yelling for their loved ones, some were taking the lead, just like Zita, to keep order, some were just quietly trudging along. A lot of them were clearly hurt but still they kept moving, choosing to find their loved ones or help those around them instead of treating their own wounds. Some were injured and needed help, which those around them were more than willing to provide. Some were dead. 

Zim was astonished. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. This earthquake had done more to destroy the city than Zim’s schemes ever did, and yet, everyone was still moving forward. Just like his classmates, everyone around him was treating the horrifying disaster as if it was normal. It wasn’t like when acid fell from the sky where Zim was clearly the only one affected so negatively. The earthquake had clearly affected all of them. 

And yet… 

Zim would never admit it, but sometimes, the way humans were so easily able to handle themselves through disasters like this unsettled him.


End file.
